Rolling toy



M. TANNEN Jan. 5, 1954 ROLLING TOY Filed Aug. 8, 1952 INVENTCR {git/me] 7617221922 I ATTORNEY annular wall !8, and an annular sleeve 19 extending therefrom, said sleeve l9 having its outer surface slightly curved to form a continuous curvature effect with annular flanges l4. At the outer juncture'of annular wall I8 and sleeve I9, is an annular groove 29 which is fitted into juxtaposition with annular shouldered portion ll of an end member H, where it is secured by acetone, cement or other fixing agent. The bottom surface 2! of sleeve i9 contacts the bottom surface 22 of the second end member H and is secured thereto, and projects slightly beyond the annular shouldered portion l1 therein to form a pocket 22a.

Annular wall is is comprised of an opening 23 which is centrally located and comprises a semiarcuate portion 24 and parallel tangential sides 25 and two straight, aligned bottom portions 26. Within said out portions and forming the other edges of the opening 23 is a hook 21 comprising a shank 28 and a mushroom top 23. It is thus seen that hook 21 is centrally located within opening 23 for the purposes hereinafter mentioned. Also on annular wall I8, there are three through holes 30 equally spaced apart and from said opening 23. On the surface of wall l8 and extending into the area 3| between said wall 18 and end wall l3, and concentric to and spaced from each hole 30 is a vertical outwardly extending annular hollow sleeve 32.

Slidable within the hollow sleeve 32 is a pin 33. Said pin 33 is comprised of a tubular shank 34 which passes through hole 30, and an annular shaped head 35, which is in the area 3!, and whose diameter is equal to that of the hollow portion of sleeve 32. The length of said pin 33 is longer than the distance from wall [8 to end wall l3 and as the head 35 is wider than hole 3! It is clear that the pins 33 are only movable through holes 30 and will not fall out therefrom. The purposes of said pins 33 will be hereinafter mentioned.

Member I 2a is comprised of an annular wall 36. At the outer edge thereof is an annular lip 3! which fits into the pocket 22a formed by and contacts bottom surface 2| of sleeve I9, and annular shouldered portion ll of the second end member H, and is secured thereto by acetone, cement or other fixing agent. Said annular wall 36 is also comprised of an opening 38, similar to opening 23 of wall l8. However, opening 38 is located 180 away from opening 23. Thus, the mushroom head of hook 21 would be facing in one direction, and the mushroom head 39 of the hook 43 in opening 38 would be facing in the opposite direction therefrom, although their respective shanks 28 and 4| are parallel to each other. Annular wall 35 is comprised of three through holes, three concentric and hollow sleeves therearound, and three pins slidable in said holes, similar to the construction of the component parts on and appurtenant to wall 18 as heretofore described.

Extending between said hooks 21 and E0, and fitting around their respective shanks and under their respective mushroom heads is an elastic rubber band 42. Suspended on said rubber band 32 midway between said walls i3 and 35 is a weight 43. Said weight 43 comprises a head portion 44 and a lower, larger portion 55. Said ,head portion 44 comprises an annular groove 45 therein into which the said rubber band d2 fits allowing said weight 43 to be freely suspended thereon. Along the outer surfaces of said annular flanges M and annular sleeve l9 are continuous longitudinal shallow grooves 4'! to give the effect of separate staves of a barrel, said markings being interrupted only by said annular projections it Which give the appearance of barrel hoops.

It is thus seen that the said weight 13 is freely suspended on said rubber band 52 to allow the latter to be wound when pins 33 are in their outward position. Such positioning of the pins can be accomplished by merely spinning the barrel on its vertical axis, so that the pins are flung outwardly due to centrifugal force. When the barrel is in such condition and is rolled any distance in any peripheral direction it should be understood that the weight remains in a stationary position and the rubber band becomes wound up thus creating a certain torsion. When the forces of friction finally stop the barrel, the wound rubber band's torsion begins to unwind it thus causing the barrel to roll back towards the point or place of beginning.

After such a demonstration, a demonstrator casually picks up the barrel so that either end is facing up, which permits the pins at either end to slide inwardly. The barrel is then handed to one who wishes to try the trick. On rolling the barrel with the pins in this in position however, the pins come in contact with the weight and so force it to rotate with the barrel and thus preventing any winding of the rubber band. Thus, in this case, to the dismay of the experimenter, when friction stops the barrel, it will not roll back to the point or place of beginning.

It is of course understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and materials comprising the above and not specifically described in the embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth. it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A rolling toy comprising a shell adapted to roll about its axis on a floor or surface, an elastic member at the axis of said shell, means to anchor the ends of said elastic, a weight suspended from said elastic and between. said anchoring means, whereby when said shell is rolled on the floor or surface the elastic member will become twisted to create torsion force for rolling the shell back after the shell stops rolling, and means in the shell to cause the suspended weight to turn with the shell when the shell is rolled so as to prevent the elastic member from being twisted so that the toy will not roll back.

2. A toy comprising a shell adapted to be rolled, means within said shell to cause it to roll back, said means within the shell to cause it to roll back comprising two partition walls, an elastic band interconnecting said partition walls and a freely swinging weight mounted on said elastic band which on the roll away from a point of beginning remains stationary while the barrel rotates, turning the elastic band on each side of the from, an overlying annular projection at the widest end portion of said flange and an annular shoulder portion around the inner edge por=- tions of said annular projections, said annularv projections simulating barrel hoops, and said intermediate member comprising an annular wall and an annular sleeve extending therefrom, the outer sleeve having a slightly curved outer surface to form a continuous curvature with the annular flanges of the end members, an annular groove at the juncture of the annular wall and an annular sleeve, which is secured in the said annular shoulder portion of the first of said end members and the bottom surface of said sleeve contacting the bottom edge of the second end member and forming a pocket with the said annular shoulder portion thereof, said annular wall of said intermediate member comprising a centrally located opening, with an extending mushroom headed hook therein, three through openings equally spaced from each other and from said centrally located opening, a vertical, hollow sleeve spaced from and concentric to each of said holes extending from the surface of said annular wall into the space formed between said annular wall of the said intermediate member and the annular end depressed wall of said first end member secured to said intermediate memher, and said inner transverse partition comprising an annular wall and an annular lip at its outer edge which is secured in the aforesaid. pocket, and said inner wall member having a centrally located opening with an extending mushroom headed hook therein located in a position 180 removed from said mushroom headed hook of said intermediate member, three through openings equally spaced from each other and from said centrally located opening, a vertical hollow sleeve spaced from and concentric to each of said holes extending from the surface of said annular wall in a direction opposite to that of the said hollow sleeves of the said intermediate member, longitudinal shallow grooves on the outer surfaces of said annular curved, outwardly tapering flanges of said end members and on said annular sleeve extending from said annular wall of said intermediate member to give the effect of separate barrel staves and said means to cause said top to roll back towards the place of beginning comprising a rubber band stretched between said intermediate member and said inner transverse partition and being placed around the respective mushroom headed hooks therein, a weight with a large portion and a smaller head portion having a groove on each side thereof and an overlying upper lip thereover, said weight freely suspended on said rubber band which runs through the grooves on either side of said weight and which weight remains stationary on the rubber band causing the rubber band on either side of it to be wound on any peripheral roll of said toy, and the unwinding of said rubber band causing the toy to roll back.

8. A toy adapted to be rolled in one direction and means therein to cause said toy to roll back and optional means in said toy to prevent said toy from rolling back, said toy comprising a shell formed of four separate parts secured together to form an outward appearance of a barrel, said four parts being two end members, an intermediate member and an inner transverse partition, each of said end members comprising an annular depressed end wall, an annular curved, outwardly tapering flange leading therefrom, an overlying annular projection at the widest end portion of said flange and an annular shoulder portion around the inner edge portions of said annular projections, said annular projections simulating barrel hoops, and said intermediate member com prising an annular wall and an annular sleeve extending therefrom, the outer sleeve having a slightly curved outer surface to form a continuous curvature with the annular flanges of the end members, an annular groove at the juncture of the annular wall and an annular sleeve, which 'is secured in the said annular shoulder portion of the first of said end members and the bottom surface of said sleeve contacting the bottom edge of the second end member and forming a pocket with the said annular shoulder portion thereof, said annular wall of said intermediate member comprising a centrally located opening, with an extending mushroom headed hook therein, three through openings equally spaced from each other and from said centrally located opening, a vertical, hollow sleeve spaced from and concentric to each of said holes extending from the surface of said annular wall into the space formed between said annular wall of the said intermediate member and the annular end depressed wall of said first end member secured to said intermediate member, and said inner transverse partition comprising an annular wall and an annular lip at its outer edge which is secured in the aforesaid pocket, and said inner wall member having a centrally located opening with an extending mushroom headed hook therein located in a position removed from said mushroom headed hook of said intermediate member, three through openings equally spaced from each other and from said centrally located opening, a vertical hollow sleeve spaced from and concentric to each of said holes extendin from the surface of said annular wall in a direction opposite to that of the said hollow sleeves of the said intermediate member, longitudinal shallow grooves on the outer surfaces of said annular curved, outwardly tapering flanges of said annular wall of said intermediate member to give the effect of separate barrel staves and said means to cause said top to roll back to the place of beginning comprising a rubher band stretched between said intermediate member and said inner transverse partition and being placed around the respective mushroom headed hooks therein, a weight with a large portron and a smaller head portion having a groove on each side thereof and an overlying upper lip thereover, said weight freely suspended on said rubber band which runs through the grooves on either side of said weight and which weight remains stationary on the rubber band causin the rubber band on either side of it to be woun d on any peripheral roll of said toy, and the unwinding of said rubber band causing the toy to roll back, and said optional means in said toy to prevent said toy from rolling back towards the place of beginning comprising pins slidably mounted In said through holes and through said hollow sleeves surrounding each of said through holes each of said pins comprising a shank and head the head being greater in diameter than the said through hole through which said pin slides and being equal in diameter to the hollow of the sleeves surrounding said hole, and the length of said-pin being longer than the distance from the through hole to the'annular depressed end wa l said pins being optionally moved to contact weight and force the same to rotate at the u s'me rate as and with the toy and so preventing the rubber band from becoming wound up on rolling in any peripheral direction.

9. A toy having the outward appearance and shape or a barrel and comprising an outer shell, end walls and two inner walls, means to cause said toy to roll back toward a place from where it was originally rolled in any peripheral direction and means to prevent the roll back of the toy when rolied in any peripheral direction, and each of said inner walls comprising a centrally located opening with a projection remaining in said space, and lying along the transverse axis of said toy located about said opening, and said means to cause said toy to rollback, comprising a rubber band attached to said hooks and a Weight having a groove on each side, suspended from said rubber band so that the rubber band goes through each groove of the weight permitting the rubber band to be wound when the toy is rolled in any peripheral direction.

10. A toy having the outward appearance and shape of a barrel and comprising an outer shell, end walls and two inner walls, means to cause said toy to roll back toward a place from where it was originally rolled in any peripheral direction and means to prevent the roll back of the toy when rolled in any peripheral direction, and each of said inner walls comprising a centrally located opening with a projection remaining in said space, and lying along the transverse axis of said toy located about said opening, and said means to cause said toy to roll back, comprising a rubber band attached to said hooks and a weight having a groove on each side, suspended from said rubber band so that the rubber band goes through each groove of the weight permitting the rubber band to be wound when the toy is iii rolled in any peripheral direction, and said means to prevent the roll back of said toy, comprising means slidable within said through openings to force said weight to rotate with the toy when the toy is rolled in any peripheral direction.

11. A toy comprising a sealed, wholly closed shell adapted to be rolled about its axis on a iioor or flat surface, means in the sh ii to cause the shell to roll back when the shell is rolled on said floor or surface in either peripheral direction, and means within the shell to prevent rolling back of the toy by said first means within the shell when the toy is rolled on said floor or surface in either direction, said roll back means comprising an elastic member at the axis of the shell, means to anchor the ends of the said elastic, a weight suspended on said elastic between said anchoring means, said preventing means comprising a plurality of members slidably mounted within the shell into and out of the plane of said suspended weight, and said slidable members being adapted to be moved out of the plane of said suspended weight upon twirling the shell about an axis perpendicular to the axis of the shell.

MICHAEL TANNEN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 149,231 Leypoldt Mar. 31, 187% 354,269 'I'eichman Dec. 14, 1886 581,481 Leake Apr. 27, 1897 672,889 Conant Apr. 30, 1901 1,587,739 Williams June 8, 1926 2,137,272 Dinkel Nov. 22, 1938 

